Dangerous Freedom Tallied in Youth

Contest Category: 2014 Summer Independence Writing Contest

Because of some ultra-mindfucky, nefarious human schemes and some unintentional collateral damage too, so much of the man-made world has become a devastating force to my freedom. I was involved closely with the value corrupt business described in a certain famous author’s famous essay ^1 (which if mentioned in paragraph and given such prominent space … Continued

In the Swiss Alps, there is a village. And in this village, there is a church. And across from this church, there is a chalet. And in this chalet, there are three people with little shovels of cheese in their hands. One of them is very, very excited. That person is me. My friend Anouk … Continued

I remember seeing a doco as a kid on the Aurora Borealis. I was mesmerised by the dancing rainbow of colours moving across the sky. ‘One day I’ll go there, I’ll see the Northern Lights,’ I told myself. Twenty-five years later I arrive in Iceland in the dark of night. On the ride from the … Continued

Mother Earth is My Home By: Anette Lillevang Kristiansen The morning mist is dank and muggy. She drags herself along a narrow mountain plateau, listening to the river roaming and hitting the stones several hundred meters below in the precipice valley. Her trekking boots are sloppy with mud, and she can hear the raindrops falling … Continued

It’s not just a place, but a way of living life and perceiving the world. I dreamed of going to Ireland for as long as I could remember. Then, it seems, as if through a miracle, I was there, breathing in the sweet, chilled air, and gazing at the land full of colors you’d only … Continued

Dancers of the deep By Alison Sollars 22 June 2014 With perfectly trimmed sails the yacht rides comfortably through towering seas. Swells over five, maybe seven metres, raise our small sloop only to pass beneath on their endless journey to nowhere. Almost stalled, Blue Heeler yaws in the deep trough, only to pick up speed … Continued

We emerged from the train station onto a busy Chicago Street, the sky scrapers looming overhead and the clouds threatening rain. People were dashing home from work along the narrow pavements, holding coffee-on-the-go and trying to cheat the pedestrian crossings. The architecture was incredible and there was a buzz to the place. That’s the thing … Continued

“The Afternoon Reflections among Nymphéas”: Chain O’Lakes, Albion, Indiana By Sana Szewczyk I place one of my aching hands in the cold water as the silver canoe floats in the sea of water lilies, the elusive white petals of perfection, the yellow succulent petals of eccentricity. I look through luscious green leaves into the water … Continued

Tobago. It’s the sister island to my homeland Trinidad and just like sisters often are, they could not be more different. Tobago is like a dream that you don’t want to wake up from, it’s an entirely different world and that’s what makes it hard to believe that this magical island is accessible via a … Continued

In 2012, I decided to move to Israel. Initially, I went to volunteer with the Ethiopian Israeli community and along the way, I had the opportunity to travel to Greece, Budapest, Petra, Germany, and throughout the entire state of Israel. My time in Israel was challenging. I did not know the language. I did not … Continued